quantity surveyor interview maths skills

[BobbyBobBob]

I have an interview for a QS business and want to brush up on some of my maths skills. Does anyone know what type of maths skills and equations etc are needed in this kind of work?

Maybe give some examples if possible.

Thanks

[jackthehat]

In my QS Module it was only the four basic + - / * that were necessary.

Anything more complicated would be dealt with by QS themselves...........I assume that you are not actually a qualified QS, or you would already possess the requisite knowledge.

[BobbyBobBob]

Its for a junior position so I will be trained up from scratch and take exams whilst working for the company. Thanks for your help.

[Ankou]

you just need a bit of savvy with basic maths and percentages.

if you can claim to have good exposure and usage of spreadsheets and report writing, then it all helps. what side of the fence is this business ? contractor or pqs?

[jackthehat]

In its simplest terms, QS is about taking each individual element of the construction process, measuring/calculating it (do they still use SMM ?) giving it a monetary value and coming up with a cost figure for the client......

Will you be using CAD drawings to work from ?

[Ankou]

jack, some of the smaller practices still use smm7, but there is a new measurement model that hasn't really taken off. bills of quants are a thing of the past mainly.

if this is contractor side, then more likely you will need slightly different skills, but the basics are generally the same.

[jackthehat]

Blimey !!
*I* used SMM7..........20 years ago ! :o)

[Ankou]

me too, i used smm6 at one time as well.

[Ankou]

bobby, i was a pqs for some time. if you need a steer on anything further, feel free to drop me a line in confidence.

[email protected]

[BobbyBobBob]

what is the new measurement model?

please excuse my lack of knowledge on this but I'm new to it all.

[Ankou]

http://www.rics.org/nrm

[R1Geezer]

pretty well all of it is arithmetic, bit of simple trig and some rudementay Algebra, GCSE level should be plenty.

[factor-fiction]

Make sure you know the basic metric units and can convert metres to centimetres etc and can interpret scale drawings